ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

David Reid has over 30 years of experience in the employee benefits and group insurance industry and was one of the earliest adopters of technology as an integral strategy for employers in the late 1990s. Mr. Reid started his career as a group sales representative in 1986 with John Alden Life, and after a short period with Lincoln National Corporation, then became a consultant and agent for Unison Benefits Management, a leading provider in the Minneapolis/St. Paul marketplace. It was here that Mr. Reid became Vice President in 2000 and a partner of Unison, Inc. cultivating over $5 million of annual revenue. Unison was eventually acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher of Gallagher Benefit Services Inc. In 1999, Mr. Reid was among the first to venture into the world of online technology designed for employee benefits enrollment and communication, and in 2005 founded Apprize Technology Solutions (www.apprizetechnology.com) and served as President. Today, the company continues as a leader in providing online benefit enrollment solutions for brokers and employers by using industry leading enterprise software solutions. In 2012, Mr. Reid co-founded Ease (www.ease.com) to create a small group solution that provides the robust eligibility management features previously limited to enterprise solutions used by large employers. After just three years, in 2015 Ease was launched on the West Coast and is among the most widely adopted, fastest growing solution for brokers and employers in the area, with over 50,000 employers and over 1,200,000 employee users. Throughout his career, Mr. Reid’s focus has been creating broker-centric solutions that are easy to use.

Scott Hinz is Chief Operating Officer of HINZJJ LLC, a 45 unit Jimmy John’s franchisee based in Kansas City owned by his wife Sandra and son Matthew. He has also been an active partner with two brothers in Hinz Trucking Inc, a nationwide long haul flatbed trucking company with 110 power units, for over 30 years. Scott is primarily responsible for all store operations at HINZJJ and the sales and dispatch departments at Hinz Trucking. A native of Plymouth, Nebraska Scott and his wife have been happily married for over 35 years and look forward to many more. They attend Christ Church of the Valley in Peoria, AZ and Westside Family Church in Lenexa, KS. Through being an active C12 Group member, Scott continues to learn how HINZJJ and Hinz Trucking can serve a greater purpose by ministering to and growing the faith of their team members. C12 has had a very positive impact on his life. Through C12, Scott has become passionate about sharing the love of Christ with everyone God places in his path and his desire is to see all come to Christ so that they too may enjoy life to the fullest as God intended.

Seth Schorr is CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and Chairman of Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino. The urban casino resort is the embodiment of Schorr’s vision to create a downtown Las Vegas hospitality experience delivering a superior guest experience and genuine sense of community. Since beginning his career in gaming and hospitality in 1991, Schorr served as an integral member of the Wynn Resorts team, developing the international marketing department in Macau, the interactive gaming division and The Wynn Collection of Fine Art. Earlier in his career, Schorr also worked in numerous capacities at Mirage Resorts including positions at Bellagio Hotel & Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, and Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. Schorr and his partner, Jeffrey Fine, co-founded Fifth Street Gaming which owns and operates five casinos. The principals of Fifth Street Gaming also control, through its affiliate, the LEV Restaurant Group, a food and beverage operation that owns and manages more than 50 restaurants in the Las Vegas area and Southern California including The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jamba Juice, Lobster ME, JaBurritos, Daily Kitchen, Evel Pie and Golden Tiki. In early 2015, Schorr was introduced to the world of eSports and led the effort of developing the first fully integrated eSports program in a casino resort at The Downtown Grand. The Downtown Grand’s eSports program has included weekly eSports contests, team residencies and sponsorships, a weekly broadcast and professional tournaments. Schorr sits on the board of GameCo and advised on the development and launch of the world’s first video game slot machine. In 2017 Schorr launched Commercial Streaming Solutions which developed a patent-pending media platform that provides streaming content, including Esports and sports betting content, to retail venues. Schorr is a founder of the Nevada Esports Alliance and continues to be a leader in the convergence of Esports and sports gambling. Schorr is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is a member of YPO and sits on numerous boards including those for The Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Nevada Restaurant Association, Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, the Advisory Board of The Smith Center for Performing Arts, One Night for One Drop and was appointed by Governor Sandoval to serve on Nevada State Board of Museums & History. He is also an executive board member and Chairman of the Communications Committee of the Downtown Las Vegas alliance. Schorr is an avid cyclist, amateur photographer and has two little angels Dax (9) and Mia (7). Most importantly, Schorr recently married Dr. Emily Schorr.

Matt Carter is a cloud and technology industry veteran, leading Aryaka’s long-term market strategy and day-to-day operations, while guiding the company’s vision for an increasingly connected world. Prior to this role, Matt served as President and CEO of Inteliquent Inc, a publicly traded provider of cloud-based networking services for global enterprises, which was successfully acquired by GCTR, a Chicago based PE firm. Matt previously held a series of executive positions with Sprint Corporation where he successfully led several of its major businesses. This includes serving as President of the Sprint Enterprise Solutions business that provided a diversified portfolio of communication platforms to companies in over 165 countries globally. He also served as President of Boost Mobile, a leading provider of no contract wireless services. Matt earned his master’s degree in general management from the Harvard Business School and his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.

Lindsey Ueberroth is Chief Executive Officer of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and a member of its Board of Directors. Since joining the company in 2004, Lindsey has helped solidify the position of Preferred Hotels & Resorts as an iconic global hospitality brand, a preferred partner for independent hotels, and a trusted resource for travelers seeking an authentic, independent luxury hotel experience. In March 2015, Lindsey spearheaded the rebranding of Preferred Hotel Group to Preferred Hotels & Resorts, which represented the onset of a new consumer-facing strategy for the company. The new brand architecture redefined the way the hotel experience is rated, not by tiers or stars, but by experiences, to create stronger clarity for the company’s world-class portfolio of independent properties among travelers, hoteliers, and travel partners. Highlighting the success of that strategic move, in that same year, Lindsey led the company to achieve a major milestone in its history by generating more than $1 billion ($1.011B) in reservations revenue on behalf of its member hotels worldwide, a 15% increase over the previous year. During her tenure as president, from June 2010 to February 2014, Lindsey’s leadership of Preferred Hotel Group helped the company’s global portfolio of member hotels successfully emerge from the worldwide economic downturn by doubling total year-end reservations revenue and generating a 25% increase in Average Daily Rate. Under her direction, the company also launched the innovative points-based I Prefer hotel rewards program; executed the introduction of three distinct brands that represented hotels and resorts in the design, boutique, and serviced residences niche categories; marked first-time presence in more than 25 new countries; and formed strategic partnerships with small hotel brands that expanded the company’s reach into key global markets. Her strength and success as the leader of Preferred Hotels & Resorts earned her recognition in 2017 by Hotel Management as one of the 30 most influential women in hospitality. She also received back-to-back accolades in 2015, first by HOTELS magazine as one of the top 10 most noteworthy hoteliers in the world and then by Lodging Magazine as one of the 20 most influential females in the lodging industry. Before joining Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Lindsey was an account executive at Ambassadors International, Inc., a global meetings and incentives company. Prior to that, she was a management consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). Lindsey serves on the Board of Directors for Historic Hotels of America, the Global Hotel Network, and Wine 2 Water. She is also an active member of the U.S. Travel Association and the Young Presidents’ Organization. A graduate of Wake Forest University, Lindsey has traveled to more than 100 countries.

Obadiah is responsible for all aspects of the Vine Hospitality operations overseeing the core values of the company: Drive Quality, Have Fun and Make it Happen! With over 20 years as a top hospitality executive, Obadiah Ostergard began his journey in the culinary industry as the Executive Chef at Gaylord’s in the historic Kilohana Plantation in Kauai, Hawaii. While working closely with the Owner and General Manager, Ostergard not only created and executed full-service lunch and dinner menus but also serviced banquet functions and weekly catering events. Shortly after, Ostergard decided to venture to Wilmington, Delaware where he was invited to open a café for MBNA America. He continued to grow within the company, moving on to roles of Executive Chef and Executive Catering Director, where he was responsible for overseeing event management for extravagant banquet functions. Ostergard continued to flourish in the hospitality industry—during his time in Delaware, he co-owned The Vault and Restaurant 821, both of which he lead as General Manager. He was able to conceptualize a creative business plan for Restaurant 821, creating a fine dining restaurant that featured locally grown ingredients. Restaurant 821 received multiple accolades from Philadelphia Magazine and Zagat as well as “3 Bells” by award-winning food critic, Craig Leban, for its sophisticated dining experience and notable, fresh dishes. Several years later, Ostergard moved to San Francisco to join the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, where he began as the General Manager of Kuleto’s Trattoria in Burlingame and later transitioned to the San Francisco location on Powell Street. After Kuleto’s, he managed the Fifth Floor Restaurant at the Hotel Palomar and was eventually promoted to Director of Operations for Kimpton Restaurants where he led the reconception efforts of restaurants such as Ponzu and Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen. Prior to taking over as CEO for the founder of Left Bank Ed Levine, Ostergard was the President of Au Bon Repas as San Francisco-based restaurant group which includes Cafe Claude, Gaspar and Gitane restaurants where he oversaw all aspects of operations.

Michael comes to Elevation Labs with over 18 years of experience in the beauty and skin care industry. Michael began his career in Ireland with Procter & Gamble, producing skin care & cosmetics for brands such as Olay, Max Factor, and Cover Girl. In 2003 he transferred to the US with P&G, where he has worked in Cincinnati, Boston and most recently Iowa City, Iowa. There, he successfully directed operations as the plant manager of P&G’s largest beauty care plant, producing 600 million bottles every year of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and mouthwash for brands such as Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Crest, Old Spice & Olay, and grossing over 2 billion in sales annually. As part of that role, he also ran one of the largest distribution centers globally and had the opportunity to share his insights on topics such as Millennial Management with leaders around the globe. Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree in mechanical engineering from University College Dublin in Ireland and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Iowa. Bringing his vast knowledge to Elevation Labs, Michael’s top priority will be to ensure that the highest quality products are being produced on time and in-full for every customer. His goal is to build on Elevation’s world-class operations, both in Idaho, LA and Colorado, creating a culture that is highly adaptable, team-oriented, and streamlined to ensure excellent work flow and best-in-class responsiveness for every customer.

Bill Walshe is a 20+ year seasoned expert and leader in the luxury hospitality industry. Walshe provides Viceroy Hotel Group with a truly global perspective as he brings extensive senior management experience with leading international luxury hospitality brands, including Dubai’s Jumeirah Group, and luxury European hotel groups Kempinski Hotels & Resorts and The Doyle Collection. His passion is in creating hospitality brands that deliver a contemporary interpretation of luxury, built on the solid fundamentals of good old fashioned hotel-keeping. Since taking the helm at Viceroy, he has added seven new properties across Chicago, Dubai, Los Cabos, San Francisco and Washington D.C. and is preparing for the opening of new Viceroy branded hotels in Cartagena, Portugal, Panama and Serbia for a total of 22 hotels under management by the group worldwide.

Former CEO, Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. Director at Pier 1 Imports, Inc. Director at US Foods Holding Corp. Director at Chick-Fil-A, Inc. Author, Dare to Serve: How to drive superior results by serving others Cheryl Bachelder is a passionate, purpose-led business leader -- the former CEO of Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. Cheryl is known for her crisp strategic thinking, a franchisee-focused approach, and superior financial performance.  Guided by the servant leadership thinking of Robert Greenleaf, she believes highly caring, collaborative leaders with big ambitions for the enterprise, not themselves, generate the conditions for people to perform their best work. Cheryl served as CEO of Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., a NASDAQ traded company with over 2,600 restaurants in 26 countries, from 2007 to 2017. The story of Popeyes success is chronicled in her book, Dare to Serve: How to drive superior results by serving others. During her tenure, Popeyes’ stock price grew from $11 to $61, at which time the board sold the company to Restaurant Brands International Inc. for $1.8 billion dollars or $79 per share in March, 2017. Cheryl’s earlier career included brand leadership roles at Yum Brands, Domino’s Pizza, RJR Nabisco, The Gillette Company and Procter & Gamble.   Cheryl serves as a director on the boards of Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (PIR), US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD), and Chick-Fil-A, Inc. She sits on the advisory board of Procter & Gamble’s franchising venture, Tide Dry Cleaners. She is a board member of CEO Forum, an organization that encourages and develops leadership capability in CEOs and senior executives. Cheryl holds a Bachelor’s and Masters of Business Administration degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She is married 38 years to Chris Bachelder and they have three grown daughters, two terrific son-in-laws, and four handsome grandsons. Cheryl and Chris reside in Atlanta, Georgia and attend Buckhead Church. They are avid learners, fans of the classical education movement, and can always be found reading a good book! Website: Serving Performs at www.cherylbachelder.com

Mr. Garry joined Bizerba in May of 2008 as Director of Sales for the Labels and Consumables division in the United States. As the division grew through acquisition and increased revenue, Mr. Garry was promoted to Vice President of Industry for the United States in 2011, where the group enjoyed unprecedented success for several years under his leadership. In March 2014, Mr. Garry took a brief leave from Bizerba for family reasons, but returned in late 2016 to his role of Vice President of US Industry, and once again propelled the group to new heights. In February 2018, Mr. Garry was promoted to President and CEO of Bizerba USA where he oversaw the division’s Industrial, Retail, Consumable, Parts, and Service businesses, as well as management of the group’s 200 employees. Effective January 1st, 2020 Aaron Garry was named President and CEO of Bizerba’s North American region where he will oversee all Bizerba businesses in the United States, Canada, and Mexico as well as the 400 employees in the region. This position is the culmination of 22 successful years, in and around the food processing industry for Mr. Garry. Mr. Garry began his career as the 2nd of 220 employees at Chicago-based startup Ethnicgrocer.com, as a Supply Chain Analyst. He then spent several years as a Project and Procurement Manager at a boxed chocolate company called Archibald Candy Corporation, which owned such brands as Fannie May, Fanny Farmer, and Laura Secord Chocolates. After leaving Archibald, Mr. Garry joined CSC Management Consulting in their Supply Chain practice, where he worked on Procurement based engagements with a Cincinnati based energy company (now Duke Energy), and a Texas based poultry producer (Pilgrim’s Pride). Mr. Garry then joined Henkel’s North American Adhesives group as a Territory Manager in the Midwest with a focus on food and beverage processing, and was quickly escalated to North American Key Account Manager. After departing Henkel, Mr. Garry began his career at Bizerba, a 5th generation family-owned company that recently turned 153 years old, and for which Mr. Garry has great affection. Bizerba is a global leader in the areas of weighing, labeling, slicing, and inspection and their solutions can be found in a wide ranging array of retail, industrial, and logistics customers. Mr. Garry was born in raised in Kansas City and graduated from Ohio University in 1998 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He currently resides in New Albany, Ohio with his wife Shawna and their two sons, Evan and Ethan. In his free time, Mr. Garry enjoys watching his sons play sports, exercising, and playing basketball and golf.